From JUCO to Orlando, the South Florida car exemplifies the role and impact of the Junior College Experience

TEMPE, Ariz. – From junior college to the Division I NCAA Men’s Singles Championships, Hugo Car, now a graduate student at the University of South Florida, is a shining example of the rise and competitiveness of the JUCO level and its role as a major pathway in the sport.

Car, who last November became the first person from South Florida to reach the NCAA Singles Championship in more than two decades, began his career at the JUCO level at Eastern Florida State College. Car was named the nation’s top JUCO player in 2024 and won the JUCO National Championship singles title that spring, paving the way for a shot at Division I play.

“I knew I had two years to do my best every day to go where I wanted to go,” Car said. “Those two years made me think that I will have to take every opportunity possible. With this mentality, I built myself around goals and determination, which led me to win a national title and become the number one player in the country.”

After the 2024 season, Car made the jump and joined the Bulls for the 2024-2025 season, going 16-3 in singles to earn American Conference Player of the Year honors. In the fall of 2025, Car secured a spot in the men’s individual championship after ranking No. 32 in the ITA national polls in the preseason, meeting eventual champion Michael Zheng (Columbia) in the opening round of the tournament.

Car’s case illustrates the important role junior college plays in sports, often serving as a feeder system for higher divisions and levels of play. He is one of many examples whose current Division I, II or III status can be tied to a junior college tenure.

Since the 2023 season, more than 45 men and women who earned All-American honors at the JUCO level are now playing at the next level in college tennis, including more than 20 at a Division I college.

“Anything is possible, it’s not about where you start, but where you end,” Car added. “The two years at JUCO are two years that serve to shape your identity and define the person you want to be. Use them as a stepping stone to get to Division I. Give your best every day, it will be worth it.”

University of Kansas’ Yerkezhan Arystanbekova first joined the Jayhawks for the spring of 2025, fresh off a run at Cowley College. In 2024, she won both the JUCO national singles title and the team championship, finishing the season as the top-ranked singles player and No. 2 in doubles. Upon arriving in Kansas, Arystanbekova played primarily at No. 5 in the starting lineup in singles last spring, while recording 10 doubles wins over Nos. 2 and 3. This spring, she played as high as No. 2 for the Jayhawks.

Bruno Nhavene, a senior at the University of Oklahoma, moved up to Division I after a highly productive stint at Cowley College (2023-2024). In his first year with the Sooners, Nhavene went 26-11 and earned a career-best ITA doubles ranking of No. 10 in the country, advancing to the 2024 NCAA Individual Championships.

Another Cowley College product, senior Arina Babenko, transitioned smoothly to the Division I game after playing a pivotal role in Cowley capturing a national championship title in 2024. Babenko was the No. 2-ranked singles player in the final 2024 ITA NJCAA rankings, prompting her to spend her junior season at Division I UTSA. Babenko went 16-1 in singles and 9-4 in doubles for the Roadrunners. The Russia native will spend her senior season at the University of Arkansas before transferring to the Razorbacks in June 2025.

Junior colleges across the country – from California American River College to St. Petersburg Community College in Florida – continue to develop and produce talent that goes on to the highest levels of the sport. Continue reading below for the list of JUCO All-Americans from the 2023 season who are now playing at a Division I, II, III or NAIA school.

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